Taylor Swift is at the center of a lawsuit: artist Maren Wade is suing for alleged trademark infringement. She believes that the name of Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl duplicates her own project, Confessions of a Showgirl.
Maren Wade has been developing the Showgirl brand since 2014. Under this name, she wrote an author’s column, created a show, and published a book. In 2015, she officially registered the trademark. According to Wade, Swift’s team knew about the brand’s existence, as she had previously received a refusal to register a similar name from the patent office, but released the release anyway.
The plaintiff claims that Swift’s actions mislead the audience and harm her business. She is demanding monetary compensation and a complete ban on using the name The Life of a Showgirl.
Maren Wade’s lawyer, Jamie Parkkinen, said they respect Taylor Swift’s work and success, but stressed that every artist has the right to protect their own brand.
Swift will now have to either challenge the claims in court or seek a compromise by buying out the rights to the name. The singer herself has not commented on the situation yet.